Guardian

Strange genetics!

It was after midnight when all of a sudden I woke up. My throat was dry, I looked at the side table and oopsy! I forgot to place a water bottle there, AGAIN! Gah!

I sighed in annoyance and wiggled my toe out of my heavy quilts, it was FREEZING! I pulled it under the warmth of bed again and sighed again, calculating if I should sleep thirsty or should go down in kitchen in this icy night ahhh.. decisions, decisions!

Finally I decided that a thirsty throat plus cold night is equal to a soar throat in morning with a welcoming fever so I had to do this!

I somehow managed to not shiver and got out from the warmth of my bed and went to put my over coat before my daring night march started.

Softy was sleeping in my grandma's room AS USUAL like every night ughhh! Traitor puppy! I tip-toed on stairs and somehow managed to not to make a sound and went in kitchen. I was looking for the water bottle when I heard some noises coming from my grandpa's research room.

I frowned because usually my grandfather did not like to work in night so it must be something interesting and something really good that was keeping him away from his dear sleep.

Curiosity got the best of me and I went down to our underground area's staircase. I again tiptoid on the old stairs and reached in the underground corridor. After taking two lefts, I was standing outside his research room. He never stopped me coming here so... I hoped that he will not mind.

The clicking and thumping sound of machines was louder here. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

Heavy foot steps came towards the door and it opened. I looked at my grandpa, he looked tired but his eyes were twinkling so I knew that there must be a good finding this time.

"What is it?" Without beating around the bush, I blurted out and he smiled.

"You will not believe it Christy! Come inside!" He let me in.

There were several machines, scanners and microscopes. I looked closely and found that the scanning electron microscopy machine was the one with noises.

"Come and look!" Grandpa was so excited and I couldn't be more happy to obey. I never saw him this excited not even then, when we watched horror movies and that's really a big deal.

We went near and he gestured me to look through the lens. I watched and was startled by the sight.

"Wow!! Is it.. is it real!" I gasped and looked at him. He laughed and nodded.

"It is! It's solid carbon beneath the stone layers." He stated with a beaming face.

"Diamonds!" I whispered and he smiled.

"Yes, my child but it's not what I was showing you, look closely." He instructed me and adjusted the lens.

"What the..." I almost screamed this time.

"Is it.. is it a chromosome!!" I blinked in wonder, may be this time he really got a fossil! I was rooting for the space ship but still it was thrilling to see a new found ancient chromosome.

"Yes! Now you got it! It is a chromosome and I must say that I have seen none like this one before." He told me with a bright smile.

"Means...  " I trailed off meaningfully.

"The DNA test is tricky with the ancient chromosomes as you know that there are complications with the ageing and stored cells that gets destroyed with time, leaving a little traces." He explained.

"Yes I know that a DNA may contain a large number of postmortem mutations, increasing with time. Some regions of polynucleotite are more susceptible to this degradation, so sequence data can bypass statistical filters used to check the validity of data. So naturally there would be more complications based on the age of the DNA and the conditions of environment."  I nodded and he looked at me with pride.

"Wow! I had no idea that you know all this." He was amazed and I laughed.

"Internet old man! Internet! Now tell me what's so special about this one that you are neglecting your beauty sleep." I looked again through the lens to see clearly.

"Wait! There is mercury. Hmmm.. interesting." I stated absentmindedly and he rushed to my side.

"What? Let me see." He urged and I let him see.

After looking, he looked at me in amazement.

"You are really my grandchild! How I could miss this... damn!"
Poor old man was really taking it hard that I was smarter LOL!

"What can I say! I am as unique as a snowflake. Now spill." I shrugged and he shook his head in amusement then became serious.

"Mercury has changed everything now,  because now I have to dig that place. I can't believe that I missed it!" He blurted again while looking through the lens again.

"Ughh! C'mon grandpa now tell me what it is with this DNA?" I whinned impatiently.

This got his attention and he looked at me with a soft smile.

"Brace yourself Christy. The thing is..." He stopped for a dramatic pause ughhhh! And I stopped breathing in anticipation.

"The thing is that the DNA we found there, is not matching with any species that we have found on earth till now!" He completed with pride.......

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